The Pickup That Couldn't Take the Heat: Honda Puts the Ridgeline on Ice

© honda.co.jp

A long pause awaits the Honda Ridgeline. According to Automotive News, production of the pickup at Honda's Alabama plant will stop in the fourth quarter of 2026, and the model won't return to the line until the third quarter of 2028.

The reason goes beyond a routine update. Sources for the publication say the current Ridgeline can't meet tightening emissions requirements, which is forcing Honda to prepare a technical reset. Over those 18 months the company wants to do more than a typical facelift: revise the exterior, rework some of the components and update the V6 to comply with the new emissions standards.

The pause will hit a model that already sells modestly. Last year the Ridgeline didn't even reach 45,000 units in the United States, and in the first quarter of 2026 Honda moved 10,980 pickups. For comparison, Toyota sold 69,263 Tacomas over the same period. Against that backdrop the Ridgeline looks like a niche vehicle, even though Honda keeps calling it an important part of the lineup.

The freed-up capacity in Alabama will be redirected to building the Passport and Odyssey, according to sources. It's a pragmatic move: while the pickup goes off for an overhaul, the plant will assemble models with clearer demand.

Honda isn't officially disclosing its future plans, but says the Ridgeline will keep an important role in the range. The question is what exactly that role will become. Today the pickup leans on a formula unusual for the segment: comfort, a unibody construction, an easygoing character and less rugged utility than the Tacoma or Colorado.

By 2028 that may not be enough. If Honda wants to win back interest in the Ridgeline, an engine and styling update won't suffice: the market needs a pickup that stops being a «quirky alternative» and gives buyers a clear reason not to head to Toyota or Chevrolet.